


A gentle nudge to the right temporal/spatial universe

by asparagusmama



Series: Oxford and the Doctor [4]
Category: Doctor Who (1963), Star Trek: The Next Generation
Genre: Episode Related, S7:Ep25/26 All Good Things..., canon AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-23
Updated: 2015-08-23
Packaged: 2018-04-16 20:39:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,820
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4639425
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asparagusmama/pseuds/asparagusmama
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>the Doctor, Romana and K-9 visit Professor Data in twenty-fourth century Oxford, ignoring the headaches a warped timeline gives them, and take tea before Data receives his former Captain. Can they persuade him to listen to what appear to be the raving delusions of a sick old man?</p>
            </blockquote>





	A gentle nudge to the right temporal/spatial universe

Data opened the door to his rooms to be greeted by the sight of two people he knew he had never met before, a tall man with a mess of dark curls and a maniac’s grin, dressed incongruously in Edwardian clothing and a ridiculously long scarf, something that surely was a danger to walk in rather than giving any warmth. It was not needed in anyway shape or form, it being a warm summer’s morning. The girl was much younger, with straight, long blonde hair and dressed equally bizarrely in some form of pastiche of a later twentieth century schoolgirl costume. Her smiled was almost as mad.

“Professor Data!” said the man enthusiastically, grabbing Data’s hand in both of his and pumping it up and down vigorously. “How wonderful to meet again. Of course, then you were plain Commander. I have this feeling you ought to still be, h’m?” the man said, his voice dropping an octave and volume at the end, as if his being at an Oxford college was troubling. Data had encountered the odd prejudiced don or fellow in his time here, not quite thinking it the done thing, to have an android as a Fellow of one of the oldest universities on the planet. He was sure, however, that he would remember such an eccentric academic, even if he had a mere human brain, rather than his, which was incapable of forgetting anything.

“I... er... I do not know who you are Sir?”

“It’s me. The Doctor. Surely you remember? The nasty business with the crystalline entity?”

Data fully recalled all encounters with the said creature, apart from the first, when his parents had him switched off, the terrible business with his brother, and the time when its mate had appeared, wanting revenge, and the strange man, calling himself the Doctor, had appeared on the bridge in a large wooden box, some form of matter transportation that had peaked the chronotron register of the scale as it had arrived and left. His TARDIS he had called it, Time And Relative Dimension In Space. But that man had white blond hair and a beaky nose, dressed equally bizarrely, true, in velvet and lace.

“Forgive me Sir, but you seem somewhat different,” Data said politely. Perhaps the man was ill, or inebriated. Almost all Enterprise’s missions and encounters were of public record, including this one.

“Oh yes, what is a little change between friends. We got on so well, although my assistant on you got on so much better. Dear Sarah Jane, she has such a thing for artificial life forms,” this last was an aside to his young female companion.

“Yes Doctor, I had noticed the Professor was an android. Remarkable work for this human era. Fascinating.” She turned to Data and beamed. “You’re quite remarkable. Beautiful workmanship. I dare say the Doctor has regenerated.”

“Regenerated? Implying some form of renewal of the cells at the point of death?” Data asked.

“If you would just invite us in for a little chat, Mr Data, and perhaps a spot of tea. Some cake maybe? Or biscuits? We’ve come a long way.”

Date looked at the man calling himself the Doctor for a while. He looked nothing like the man, but the name of his companion had not been on the record, and he did have something of the same strange manner, if perhaps a little brusquer and more insane...

 

Just then Data’s musings were interrupted by the sound of an electronic whir and the appearance of a little boxy robot that had obviously been built to resemble a canine. Indeed, Data observed the pun written on its side: K-9.

“Apologies Master,” it said, “Ancient staircase took some considerable navigation.”

“Never mind K-9, you’re here now. Good dog,” the man dropped to a squat and patted the ‘dog’s’ head.

“How did you get up the stairs?” the girl asked.

“I located the disabled access point and came in the lift,” the dog replied, perhaps a little smugly. Data was interested, this was more than a novelty or a strangely shaped mobile computer; it was a fully sentient artificial life form, like himself.

“Good dog. Clever dog,” the Doctor said. “Now, how about you let us in. If you look out of the window in your rooms, you will see something parked across the quad you will recognize.

Intrigued by K-9 more than its human companions, Data allowed the three of his odd visitors to enter, crossing room himself and looking out of the window to look out of the window. Opposite his rooms, just by the porter’s lodge, sat a large, rectangular wooden hut, a blue light on top. He had no doubt the lettering would read ‘Police Public Call Box,’ He could alter his visual receptors to check, but he had no need. He had no more misgivings, that were undoubtedly the TARDIS, which meant this exuberant, cheerful man in with silly scarf was indeed the Doctor, which meant not even human, and trouble was perhaps on the way. He turned.

“Why are you here Doctor?”

The Doctor flopped down onto his sofa with a dramatic flourish, swinging his extra long scarf out of the way, and put his feet up on the arm, before his spoke. “Just a little visit, you know. To congratulate on you professorship of course. Romana found it hard to believe than humans of this era – this is Romana by the way –”

“Hello,” Romana gave a little wave, then sat herself on the chair next to the sofa, leaving Data the desk chair, should he chose to sit, which he did, he always preferred the human conventions when he could. Although he did not think either of his current visitors were human, or from any species known within or without the Federation for that matter. He had no doubt his young woman – if she as was young as she appeared – was the same species as the Doctor.

“Hello Miss Romana. I have been here for some while now and...”

“Yes, yes, I’m sure it seems like that to you. Might we have some tea? We’ve travelled some distance...” the Doctor interrupted.

“Twentieth century Paris,” Romana added.

“Of course Doctor,” Data knew when he was beaten.

 

*

 

After he returned with the tea tray he found Spot III comfortably curled up on Romana’s lap. The Doctor caught him looking.

“Time Ladies and felines always have such an affinity, I find. Is that Angel Cake? Splendid.” He sat up and leaned forward, rubbing his hands. “Shall I be mother?”

They talked of this and that, of their previous adventure, Data’s research, of Paris and Art, of how Oxford never changed, not in millennia, colleges were added to, technology clumsily grafted on, the surrounds and industry grew or diminished, but the seat of academic learning never fundamentally changed.

“Reminds one of Prydonia and Arcadia,” Romana said, scratching Spot III behind the ear. She purred blissfully and stretched upon the Time Lady’s lap. The Doctor scowled at her.

“I like Oxford,” he said, implying he disliked intently the places to which Romana had compared Oxford.

“The comparison is valid Master,” K-9 corrected, emotion a subjective thing.

“Why are you here?” Data asked again. “Why should I not be an academic?”

“Why not? Why not indeed? But keep an open mind, eh? How’s that headache Romana?”

“Growing worse.”

“Thought so. Had any visitors or communications from any of your old compatriots from the Enterprise lately?” the Doctor asked. “You would like Captain Picard,” he said, turning to Romana.

“I sure I would. From what you have said, he sounds like a very, very perceptive man Doctor. A rare human who can perceive temporal ripples around him. Must be the influence of that dreadful Q.”

The Doctor gave a theatrical shudder. “Don’t mention the Q to me!”

Data saw immediately a chance to end this mysterious visit. “As a matter of fact, I am expecting a visit from the retried Admiral Picard and my old friend Geordi very soon. So I must ask you to leave Doctor. Romana. K-9. I must apologize for hastening the visit. Pleasant though it has been to meet you.”

“Apologies unnecessary,” K-9 said.

“Of course, of course,” the Doctor leapt to his feet and began his furious pumping of Data’s hand again. “Lovely to meet you. I always enjoy the company of robots and androids of all kinds. Bit like dear Sarah Jane in that respect. Just remember,” he said, putting his arm across Data’s shoulder as they walked to the door, “keep an open mind. An open mind and a little respect and tolerance will keep everything together. People are often more like themselves than they seem.”

Assuming the Doctor was talking about himself, Data replied, “Of course,” and opened the door for his odd visitors. K-9 trundled out into the corridor first.

“Better get going your way K-9. We’ll see you at the TARDIS. Good dog.”

“Master,” K-9 said politely. “Goodbye Data. It was good to meet such a finely programmed robot.”

“Likewise K-9,” Data said, turning to watch the little canine robot whir away. He then turned back to watch Romana pick Spot III from her lap and gently rub noses with her, before putting the cat on the floor.

“Goodbye Spot III,” she said, and skipped up to the door. “And goodbye Commander Data. I’m sure you will know when to listen and when to dismiss, “ she said cryptically.

Data looked at her, and then remembered to access his memory files on children’s fiction – he had accumulated a lot tin the past few decades, as he had become godfather to so many of his friends children and grandchildren.

“May I ask something Romana?”

“Of course you may,” he smile was almost as wide and crazy as her older companion.

“Why are you dressed in stylised, adult, version of the clothing of the mid twentieth century children’s cartoon Madeline.”

“How clever of you to notice. Of course you noticed! It seemed fun, and appropriate. The Doctor was taking me to twentieth centre Paris. It was supposed to be a little holiday, and I wanted to reflect that. Of course, we ended up saving the world and humanity. If we hadn’t have been there, humanity, in fact, all life, on Earth, would never have existed. I’m sure. Commander Data, you would – and will – do the same, one day. Soon perhaps.” She shook his hand and smiled again, “Goodbye,” she said hurriedly, and skipped away.”

“Goodbye, goodbye, remember, open mind, only the used key shines, people always know what they are talking about if you’ve trusted them in the past, even if they appear totally bonkers,” the Doctor babbled cryptically, already walking away. He waved over his shoulder as he climbed down the staircase and then they were gone, leaving Data with an intriguing puzzle to unpick while he waited for his next visitor

**Author's Note:**

> I've taken the liberty of artistic licence and swapping Oxford for Cambridge here, as I so wanted a Star Trek crossover in this series. I'm weird like that!


End file.
